Odisha Governor Reviews Flood Preparedness, Urges Vigilance

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati on Tuesday reviewed the prevailing flood situation in several districts and assessed the state government’s preparedness to handle the crisis.

Chairing a review meeting at Raj Bhavan, the Governor directed the Revenue and Disaster Management Department to remain vigilant and ensure zero casualties during the floods. “The best thing we can do is to prioritise human life,” Kambhampati emphasised, urging proactive steps to protect people.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, Additional Chief Secretary-cum-Special Relief Commissioner Deo Ranjan Singh, Commissioner-cum-Secretary to the Governor Roopa Roshan Sahoo, Additional Special Relief Commissioner Manish Agrawal, and senior officials of the Water Resources Department attended the meeting.

Officials briefed the Governor on the situation in Balasore, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, and Sundargarh districts, detailing river basin conditions, disaster preparedness, shelter arrangements, deployment of response forces, and relief measures.

Appreciating the state’s efforts, Kambhampati suggested constructing barrages to divert surplus water to village tanks for irrigation and other uses, which would also help reduce flood risks. He further proposed the interlinking of water basins across states, stressing that such long-term measures could mitigate floods, recharge groundwater, improve irrigation, and support rural livelihoods.

The Governor also called for a strategy paper and periodic studies on interlinking and intralinking of river systems.

Minister Pujari assured that the department remains on high alert round the clock, and commended the commitment of officials and field staff in tackling the crisis.